From Scratch – Adventures in Independent Music Making

This weekend was exactly what I needed to refresh my songwriting mind. Trying out some of the suggestions offered to me in the comment section of last week’s blog, “Gigging During a Songwriting Phase“, we (the band) decided to test drive a couple of our new songs (one of which hadn’t been finished, let alone performed, yet) during the Wonder Women showcase  (organized by one of our loveliest webcast guests, Arlene Paculan). It was a smash success. The audience responded to the new songs with great enthusiasm and it was the exact boost I needed to get my mind out of the “I’m tired of playing my old songs” funk.

Now, with that weight lifted, it is time to shift into writing high gear and who better to look to for output advice than the man who has written, recorded, and released 48 full length albums in just as many months?

50 Albums in 50 Months

Sean T Wright is a fellow Music Success in 9 Weeks Blog Challenger who I became acquainted with last fall. At the time, he was well on his way to achieving a very lofty goal: 50 albums in 50 months. Now at 48/50 albums, he has established himself as perhaps one of the most dedicated and determined musicians in the world-wide independent scene. The man is king of output. Not only has he released over 1000 songs since 1979 (which you can download for free from his website), but he has also published 12 novels and created 1000 pieces of fine art.

As someone who is having difficulty managing their time to produce even one album since January, I was compelled to pick the brain of this prolific British artist… and he was kind enough to let me!

A Conversation on Writing with Sean T Wright

What inspired you to write 50 albums in 50 months?

Now that’s a good question, and one that doesn’t have a simple answer. I started out wondering if I could write 12 albums in 12 months. That first 12 months was the toughest, in the sense of getting into a creative routine, learning to write from the heart. Once I’d completed 12 albums, I then thought: is 24 albums possible in 24 months? I want to find out! I’d like to think that I’m an explorer, stepping out into unchartered songwriting territory.

How did you approach the structure for each album?

I’m not sure why, but I choose 12 tracks per album. It kinda felt right. I guess if I’d chosen 10 tracks per album, then I’d now have 57 albums instead of 48 albums! I try to write albums, not just a collection of random songs. While the song topic may vary a lot on each album, I try to use a limited selection of instruments per album, so that they gel with other tracks on the album. For example, one album might be electro in flavour, whilst the next pop, or rock, or acoustic.

How did you work through daily life distractions in order to put out each album month after month over such a long term?

I’ve always been focused and obsessed with my music. I set aside time most days to write and record – 2 to 3 hours a day. I work very fast in the studio, almost manically, like a painter at his blank canvas, splashing on textures and colours of sound.

How did you deal with writer’s block?

Seriously, I don’t get it! If I pick up a guitar and strum out a few chords, the rest follows – words, melody, and structure. I have always had a LOT to say, about all kinds of things. I write predominantly about my life, how I feel, at any given moment. So if I feel angry, then out comes the angry song. If I’m at peace with myself, then that song pops out, too. What I don’t do is analyse what I write, or try to mould it to a genre or style.

Do you do any creative writing exercises? If so, what are they?

I don’t have exercises as such, but I do have routines. One routine is FAWM – the February Album Writing Month – where songwriters try to write 14 songs during the month. Then there’s 50/90 – a twin of FAWM where songwriters are challenged to write 50 songs in 90 days from July to October every year. These two online communities are brilliant places to meet fellow songwriters, collabs, and general support.

Personally, though, I write songs in three ways.

Method One: Depending on my mood, I grab my acoustic guitar and hammer out the words and melody, structure and so on. Then I record it while it is very fresh. It may become a fully arranged song, or just a simple vocal acoustic number.

Method two works like this: I grab my guitar, tap out a click track on my digital recorder, then record a bunch of chords straight through, all on instinct – for example, chorus, verse 1, bridge, chorus, verse 2, bridge, chorus x2, mid 8, chorus x2 etc. After that, the rest of the song takes shape, as I add layers of instruments, drums, synths, guitars etc.

Method three: I create beats, whole song structures in EZ Drummer, then record these to tape. From those beats I write songs around them, adding other instruments, and finally vocals, with no idea of melody or lyrics until the basic backing track is done. So I typically have drums, bass guitar, two electric or acoustic guitar parts done before I lay down vocal parts. Other instruments may follow, depending on how the track is working. I try not to overload the song with a multitude of parts. I believe in the old adage that less is more. It’s what you leave out that makes a song.

How did you keep up with the demands of MSI9W and your own writing challenge?

I just did it! lol! Seriously, I applied the same focus to the Music Success In Nine Weeks challenge. Focus and obsession!

Please describe your recording, mixing, and mastering process.

I’m very old school. I like to start out with a flat board, then shape each sound from there. So drums and bass have to be sonically happening before I move on to the guitars, synths and anything else. I always mix the vocals last, so that they sit in the track as I want them. I like doing different things with vocal mixes – hate reverb! But love chorus in small amounts, which glue vocals together.

I was weened on analogue reel to reel tape machines many years ago, so my ears seek warmth and depth, which recording equipment like Teac and Studer provide. I use the Studer A800 plug-in for recording, mixing, and mastering. There is nothing out there in the digital world to compare, if you want old school warmth and fusion of sound.

On my early CDs (albums 1 to 18), acoustic guitar was recorded in stereo or multi-tracked up to 4 times,  usually with mics in XY configuration, panned 50-50%, or often one guitar laid over the other in the mix. A lot of listeners have mistaken the two six string guitar tracks for a twelve string. I crank the middle up as far as it will go to get some punch. I love single tracked acoustic guitar, too, which you can hear on tracks like “I Keep Wondering”, “Lakota Holy Man”, or “Looking Out For You.” (which you can find alphabetically in his Song Tree)

Vocals are recorded in a variety of ways. Sometimes I get up within an inch of the mic, to get a breathy whispered tone. Othertimes, I’m a foot back when I blast it out! I don’t use compression much, if at all. I often use a delay to give sparkle and life. The Boss Delay is rather versatile.  I often doubletrack lead vocals as well. I prefer dry vocals and only use reverb now and again for effect on the odd word or line.

Electric guitars are straight into the COSM effects unit. My fav setting is the preset Jazz sound, which has a bit of bite distortion-wise, but remains relatively clean. One thing I try to do is to keep a similar guitar sound per album, to unify things I guess.

My mixdowns are one way or the other per album. Either I use the Boss BR1200, or the Ableton Live on my computer. With the exception of the album “Underground” which was mixed in Protools, most of my mixdowns have been done on the Boss BR1200. But from album 28 “Parkour” I used Ableton more and more for mixing.

Because I work so fast with the album-a-month project, I need software and equipment I can trust and use swiftly. The Boss BR-1200, and Ableton Live do the trick for me! (see below for a more detailed list of gear and progams Sean likes to use)

How did you approach the album art?

My album art comes from many different sources. Some is unique, commission artwork. Other album covers are my own personal photos or even artwork. Some is creative commons (royalty free) stuff, which I feel fits a certain type of album/theme. I was trained as a graphic designer in my teens, so I know a bit about layout and typography.

What impact has the overall experience had on you as a songwriter?

Writing, recording, and releasing so many albums in such rapid succession has been a very positive experience. It has taught me one major thing: there’s no point waiting for inspiration. It’s already there, waiting to be grabbed out from the dark into the light. Because I have written at least three fully recorded songs every week for the past 4 years, I think my songwriting is stronger now than ever. The response I’ve had from tens of thousands of people has made the biggest impact on me.  There’s been almost 1 million free downloads of my music via the internet, which means there are a lot of folk out there listening.

What advice do you have for me, an artist going through a writing phase right now.

Me? Giving advice? Well, I believe that literally anything goes. The creative process for each individual is a very personal thing. For me, I work from my heart, on the spur of the moment, in that moment. It’s an honest approach. I don’t try to force songs in a premeditated direction. I believe in the organic approach. I feel strongly that the songs are already there, hiding in the shadows of the unconscious, lurking like shy creatures, afraid to voice their shape and form. I’m like a song-catcher, rescuing them from a dark place and coaxing them out into the light, so that others can hear them.

________________________________________________________________________

Gear Sean Likes to Use

(1) AKG C-2000B mic -  All vocals and guitars are recorded through it. I love this “for all weathers” mic. Love it! I like to crank up the vocal input so it peaks into distortion, giving a static/driven sound to vocals for a lot of my tracks (listen to “Beneath The Waves” on 69 Love Songs Vol 1 as an example). I call my studio Static Queen, an allusion to my songwriting friend – the genius Mark Linkous.

(2) Audio Technica Atus ATR30 cardioid mic – this is an ancient mic that I record acoustic guitars with on my analogue Yamaha 4 track. (You’ll have to get it second hand, as it is now discontinued)

(3) Tannoy Reveal R5A Monitors – Near-field monitors used for mixing down. I also use my pathetic Logitech computer speakers for infrequent mixing. But my real workhorse is the Technics RP – F400 headphones.

(4) I love my Boss BR-1200 digital recording studio, with it’s super COSM guitar effects unit. But I also use a PC recording rig with Ableton Live 8. I adore Live’s effects and sound/instrument library – especially the strings sections. I play every instrument (unless credited otherwise), and love tracking. I have Protools with a whole host of software that includes Melodyne, but I use it very infrequently (listen to my album “Underground” as an example).

(5) I use Arturia’s Analog factory programme (wonderful Yamaha CS-80 sounds), controlled by my equally wonderful Axiom 25, which controls all of my computer-based software. Since album 28 “Parkour” I have used Toontrack’s superb EZDrummer for the majority of my drums. I love it! So authentic! Before EZDrummer I used a host of drum loops imported into the Boss or Boss’ EZ Compose  programmable rhythm.

(5) I tend to record my acoustic guitars on an old Yamaha MT100 analogue 4 track recorder, which gives a warmth and richness, then transfer to digital. Good examples are to be found on my album HELLO, where warmth, tape hiss, and natural distortion abound!

__________________________________________________________________________

Big thanks to Sean for sharing his ideas and insight into the creative process. I am officially setting aside 2 hours today just for writing, no interruptions allowed!

Meghan Morrison

www.meghanmorrison.com
@MegsMorrison

Tweet Hashtag #aiimm to share your own Adventures In Independent Music Making

3 Responses to “How to become a prolific songwriter : A conversation with the man behind 50 Albums in 50 Months”